Hi folks
I recently laid a new drive consisting of mainly block paving, with a slabbed path running through the middle. It's with the path that I've got the problem...
It was the first time I've laid blocks and it looked fine after finishing, even if I say so myself, but rather than let sleeping dogs lie, I decided to go ahead and 'seal' the blocks after reading stuff on this site. But I'm embarrassed to say I didn't heed all the good advice and to save money, I made the mistake of using a cheap sealant made by a well-known manufacturer, which I bought from a certain orange-coloured DIY store.
Anyway, to try to cut a long story short, I got a bit on the slabs (they are Bradstone buff-coloured textured paving slabs) and so decided to coat them as well. But I obviously didn't manage to apply it very evenly (maybe partly because they are textured...) because, to my horror, the next day, they had a distinctly patchy appearance, with some areas a fair bit darker (where more was somehow applied!) and other bits seemingly untouched. The darker parts also have a much shinier look, depending on angle of viewing, amount of sunshine etc.
My own fault/lack of experience, I know, but I'm sick as a parrot about it. I did do a test with a spare slab before and that had looked ok. The wife claims she thinks it looks fine and it looks fine indeed from a distance, but I notice it more or less every time I walk over it. As I said, I was proud of what I'd done, and now I feel I've ruined it somewhat...
Maybe I'll just have to live with it, put it down to experience etc., but I thought I'd run it by this forum just in case there is any chance of salvation, although logic tells me probably not...
What about dyes, some superior (darker?) sealant, recoating with loads of the same stuff to try to even it out... Any ideas/product suggestions appreciated.
I know, I know, what a numpty!!
Barry
Can you post exactly what the product was that you used rather than me guessing (I spy with my little eye something beginning with T...) then I'll be able to give you some advice.
That's very good news as it is solvent based which means that it can easily be re-emulsified with a powerful solvent.
Go to the website of one of our exhibitors, www.advancedsealingsolutions.co.uk and tell them you need some xylene and they will be able to tell you what to do from there.
you can buy xylene at most car paint suppiers, don pay the mark up from that company its easy to get,even if you use the solvent there is nothing to say you will cure the problem,you might end up with a stickey mess be care full sounds easy but..... MSH
personally i cannot understand the ethos of sealing concrete products.
natural stone,yes in certain situations
but if concrete is liable to fade etc. it was probably NFG in the first place
IMHO
LLL
lutonlagerlout wrote:personally i cannot understand the ethos of sealing concrete products.
natural stone,yes in certain situations
but if concrete is liable to fade etc. it was probably NFG in the first place
IMHO
LLL
Agreed...
A lot of my customers ask about it, but i only do a hand full of them every year. I cant see the point at all!!!
And as for PIC... If the esealing is not done frequently, it ruins the drive.
Regards,
Andy Willcock
Amogen Drive, Decking & Patio Cleaners
Premier Exterior Surface Cleaners & Restorers
FREE Quotes & FREE Demonstrations - Nationwide Coverage Website info@amogen.com
Est. 2004
MSH, do you think that car paint suppliers supply xylene at cost? How good is their advice on dealing with sealed paving problems likely to be? I prefer to support people in the paving industry whether or not they are exhibiting at the show (but especially if they are!!)
LLL, Amogen - Sealing concrete paving achieves a number of things - it protects against staining, it enhances colour and it protects against colour fade primarily due to acid erosion (UV is no longer much of a factor for modern pigments). Anything that reduces the permeability of concrete is desirable especially if the slab contains steel reinforcing of any type.
But, on the minus side, the seal will not last forever and generally needs refreshing every couple of years relative to traffic levels. This is a very easy DIY job and for an average sized drive the material cost would be less than £50 as far less sealant is used on reseals than initial sealing.
Considering the average drive has probably cost about £3.5K this doesn't seem too bad to me to keep it looking nice.
WOP, re what MSH says about it maybe not curing the problem and ending up with a sticky mess: what do you reckon? I don't want to make it look worse...
Don't worry Barry, it won't - it's simple enough to do but preferable to be given instructions by someone who knows what they are doing (which eliminates the bloke on the counter at B&Q or the local car paint supplier) as there are some do's and don'ts.
As the Thompsons is solvent based, you also have the option of buying a better quality solvent based sealer and going over the whole thing.
I'm sure Adseal will be in touch, they make sealers and I know they have extensive installation experience so they will be able to advise you.
